The killer, played by an unnervingly impassive Kevin Spacey, sees it as his mission to rid the world of sinners (crucially overlooking the fact that "Thou Shalt Not Kill" is one of the principal Ten Commandments).
And so the unfortunate morbidly obese man (Gluttony) is killed by being force-fed dozens of cans of spaghetti and then having his distended stomach kicked in; a beautiful, conceited woman (Pride) is offered the choice of death or cutting off her own nose 'to spite her face'; an unscrupulous city lawyer is forced to slice away a precise pound of his own flesh (Greed). Wrath, Sloth, Lust and Envy also feature, of course. I won't go into any more detail, as you are probably well aware of the intricacies of the movie. It's a good premise and an unremittingly bleak film with an ending that you either love or hate.
And so what are the 'sins' of narcissism? They correspond almost precisely to the original Seven Sins, as depicted in such vivid and gory detail in this 1995 movie.
I am going to bundle Greed and Gluttony together. Narcissists tend to hanker after or obsess over one or more of the following: money, sensual pleasures (hedonism/sex/food and other indulgences), 'prestige' possessions (palatial house/s, cars, designer clothing and accoutrements), qualifications/titles, expensive holidays, profitable/high-profile careers, and attractive acquaintances and/or sexual partners with profitable/high-profile careers. Many of them salivate over these superficial things while maintaining a shameless claim to 'transcend the material world' with their own special brand of uniqueness, a 'uniqueness' they expect to be revered for. It's not enough for a narcissist to simply have 'enough'. They can never have enough. They want these things AT THE EXPENSE of other people. In fact, TAKING from others to bolster themselves is an integral part of The Narcissist's way of life. We supply what they need, either directly or as a conduit (any or all of the following: attention, admiration, love, drama, luxuries, sex, a 'feeling of importance'), and they take, take, take. Fucking hell, are they ever good at taking. What's theirs is theirs, and what's yours is also theirs. Never forget that. If you do forget, you will swiftly be familiarised with the extent of a narcissist's 'wrath' (see below).
Now, not all narcissists are lazy - some of them keep very active indeed. In fact many of them appear to be somewhat hyperactive. It must be an endlessly exhausting endeavour to keep up a charade of being the exact opposite of what you really are, and desperately trying to maintain adequate supply coming in from numerous sources of supply to meet their insatiable demands. Their suckering tentacles are always groping and grasping for more. But in terms of fulfilling the 'Sloth' criterion, most of them are emotionally and spiritually destitute. They cannot and will not fulfil their obligations within any significant relationship. Everyone else must do their bidding. They are torpid, draining leeches who latch onto their targets and suck every drop of life, love and joy out of them. Many narcissists will put considerable effort into the illusion of being "busy" and even "vivacious", but beneath even the most compellingly radiant of veneers, they are simply empty, impoverished husks. They rely on the goodwill and trusting credulity of others to help them fill the horrifying, unfillable void within their howling, hollowed-out souls.
There is not a narcissist alive who is not driven by and consumed with blazing, undiluted, obliterating ENVY. But let's call it what it is: JEALOUSY. Dear God, rabid jealousy swirls through their psyche like a tornado, darkening their every thought and sullying every otherwise positive life experience. The narcissist envies everyone, for all manner of reasons. They envy their next door neighbour for having a nicer garden, or a more loving marriage, or a newer car. They envy their colleague for having a desk located by a window, or a more senior role in the company, or a more generous salary package. They envy their best friend for having a better body, or prettier/cleverer children, or a more attentive and attractive partner. They envy their own children for being youthful and vibrant and bursting with hope and potential. To be a narcissist is to be a jealous, seething creature transfixed by and resentful of the virtues, possessions and achievements of everyone around them.
What about wrath? Well, we know that narcissists rage. They rage internally ALL THE TIME, and at times that rage will inevitably spill out into a screaming hissy fit, a violent outburst or a toddleresque temper tantrum (very unbecoming for anyone over the age of five, and particularly so for an ageing man or woman). Occasionally - all three! Be warned: narcissists are permanently, ferociously, formidably, incurably angry people. (See my blog post about narcissistic rage.)
Pride seems to be the most obvious sin when discussing narcissism. 'Pride' and 'narcissism' are often erroneously conflated. There is much, much more to narcissism than pride, but nevertheless, a Narcissist's pride is indeed a wild and intimidating beast that must never be taunted or affronted. 'Vanity' is a synonym for pride, but it's a shallow version, concerned only with superficial appearances. Most narcissists are at least a little vain, but by no means all of them. Pride can be a positive thing: we can expect to feel rightly proud when we pass an exam, or lose weight, or cook a delicious meal. We should feel 'proud' of our children and of our accomplishments. We should, at a very basic level, feel proud of who and what we are. That is 'adaptive pride'. It is an appropriate response to what we feel gives purpose and meaning to our lives. It is pride that comes from within, and is affirmed and validated.
How a narcissist achieves their sense of pride is quite different. They feel proud by making their targets feel weak, undermined, indebted, inferior, ashamed, guilty and afraid. THAT is 'maladaptive pride'. Relying on another person's cowering submission in order to puff up your own perverted sense of pride and self-importance... it's hardly a healthy way of functioning. But that's the narcissist's way. It's the only way they know.
Finally, lust. This doesn't necessarily have to be sexual desire, of course - although there are plenty of narcissists (usually the so-called 'somatic narcissists') who use seduction and sexual prowess to great effect in order to achieve most of their supply and crucify their targets. They are usually extremely conceited, regardless of their physical attractiveness, and their attitude towards their sexual partners and intimate relationships is as putrid, mangled and twisted as their heart. (There are few creatures on earth more pitiful, spiteful and bitter than an ageing somatic narcissist.) But whether it's for sex, popularity, status, fame, money or power, all narcissists lust. It's a lust that can never, ever be satisfied. Lust is therefore intimately entwined with all the other sins.
Further reading:
The Seven Deadly Sins of Narcissism - shamelessness, magical thinking, arrogance, envy, sense of entitlement, exploitation and lack of boundaries.
Pride vs. Narcissism
The Somatic Narcissist
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